‘Education for Development’
VVOB was founded in 1982 as a non-profit organisation. VVOB’s motto ‘Education for Development’ reveals its overall objective to contribute to poverty reduction and to a fairer world with increased opportunities for all. The organisation’s main aim is to sustainably improve the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of education and training in developing countries.
We achieve this by technical assistance and by nurturing and developing relations between education organisations in developing countries, Flanders and Europe through processes of exchanging experiences, developing education expertise and awareness raising regarding the importance of education for development.
We support quality education as an engine for development and equal opportunities.
Our values:
- Quality in achievements and learning
- Integrity in professional relations and in leadership
- Respect for local policies, people and planet
- Commitment to quality education for all
- Innovation in facing complex challenges
Organisational structure
VVOB employs more than 120 associates worldwide. Its head office is based in Brussels, with local offices in eight other countries.
Approach
The programmes of VVOB Cambodia are systematically connected to the policy plans of the Royal Government of Cambodia. More concretely, we work together with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS), the Ministry of Women's Affairs, Teacher Education Colleges and practice schools.
We primarily reach school management, teacher educators, teachers and MoEYS staff from various departments. Indirectly we reach the student teachers, pupils, parents and school communities.
Capacity development
Our approach is built around developing the capacity of our partner institutions. We do not carry out the government's educational programmes. We offer our partner institutions technical assistance. This way, they choose their own course of action and are responsible for carrying out their policy plans, also maximising sustainability.
Support, coaching and guidance
VVOB aims at developing relevant learning materials, improving teaching methods, providing a gender-responsive and stimulating learning environment and supporting educational policies concerning teacher education and continuous professional development. In other words, our focus is on the quality teaching and learning within the broader learning environment of the school. However, we do not support these elements directly. We operate mainly at a higher level: sometimes at macro level (e.g. the MoEYS), but mostly at meso level (e.g. in teacher education colleges). We engage in a long-term process with our partners, during which VVOB supports, coaches and guides them.
Task forces
Within our current programme SMART we work with task forces consisting of representatives of the MoEYS (Teacher Training Department, Primary Education Department and Curriculum Development Department), Teacher Education Colleges and Provincial Offices of Education.
Task forces build their own capacity first to then strengthen the quality of teaching that takes place at the teacher education colleges. They do this by training and coaching school leaders, teacher educators and primary school teachers.
Geographical reach
VVOB Cambodia's office is located in Phnom Penh (capital) in the central district of the capital, near the MoEYS and development partners.
